DSPS Complaints

I received an email from DSPS about a patient complaint. What are the next steps?

The Department of Safety and Professional Services (“DSPS”) oversees complaints about physicians on behalf of the State of Wisconsin Medical Examining Board. Anyone can submit a complaint about a physician to DSPS, and DSPS frequently contacts physicians requesting a response to a complaint.

The UW-Madison Office of Legal Affairs can help UW-Madison employed healthcare providers with the DSPS process. Please contact the Office of Legal Affairs at caroline.marks@wisc.edu or 608-263-7400.

In responding to DSPS, please be aware of the following:

  • It is crucial that you respond in a timely manner. The deadline to respond is usually only 1-2 weeks, and late responses may be subject to discipline. You can be disciplined by the Medical Examining Board for an untimely response even if the underlying complaint is baseless.
  • If you are unsure whether a DSPS email that you received is legitimate, the Office of Legal Affairs can help you make that determination, or you may contact DSPS at (608) 266-2112 to verify.
  • DSPS may request certified copies of patient treatment records. The appropriate Health Information Management department must send the requested medical records to DSPS—do not send medical records to DSPS directly. The Office of Legal Affairs can assist with this step.
  • To ensure that you receive communications from DSPS, verify that your mailing address and email address are up to date with the Medical Examining Board. To do so, call DSPS at (608) 266-2112.
  • The final written response to DSPS must be sent via secure means, including USPS, fax, or encrypted email.